


An Encounter at Ralphs

by Covinskey



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Gen, Grocery Shopping, biting onions, referenced Cecil/Carlos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-01
Updated: 2015-09-01
Packaged: 2018-04-18 14:04:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4708667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Covinskey/pseuds/Covinskey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Carlos bumps into Steve and Janice while shopping</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Encounter at Ralphs

Carlos wasn’t a man to hold grudges. He also wasn’t a man to stir up shit that was best left unstirred. He was a scientist, plain and simple.

As a result, he harbored no ill will towards Steve Carlsburg. But he wasn’t particularly close with him either. He didn’t care to rile Cecil up by trying to befriend him or talking Cecil out of his dislike, but he had to admit, he wasn’t a fan of the bad blood the two of them had.

Therefore, he was uncomplaining when he bumped into Steve at the Ralphs one Friday evening. He was examining onions, all of which were singing Dreamgirls songs off-key. He picked one up to see how ripe it was, only to have it bite his finger and resume singing.

Steve had appeared out of nowhere, catching the onion where Carlos had instinctively let it go and smacking it before setting it back with the rest.

“Hey Steve,” Carlos said, sticking the bloody finger in his mouth, “thanks!”

“No problem, Carlos!” Steve announced in that cheerful voice of his, “Those onions sure are green, though, aren’t they?”

“Yeah, usually they have at least some harmony,” Carlos agreed, trailing off at the faint whirring of a motor and a tugging on his labcoat. He looked down to see little Janice pulling a small bandage out of her bedazzled purse.

“Here’s for your finger Uncle Carlos,” she told him, offering it up.

“Oh, thanks Janice!” Carlos said, bandaging his finger. Unsatisfied, Janice grabbed his wrist and kissed it better.

“Lookit Uncle Carlos I’m pushing the shopping cart this time,” she crowed once she had released him, “I can move back and forward and I don’t even have to really push because they put mortars in it, lookit the buttons I wanna go fast but Dad won’t let me can I go fast Uncle Carlos because you’re a scientist?”

As always, Carlos had to pause to take all that in. He had knelt a little beside the motorized wheelchair/shopping cart Janice was proudly utilizing.

“Well, sweetie, the thing is, I’m a scientist. That means I get to test all sorts of things and it’s really cool, but your dad is your dad, and that means he gets to say no sometimes.”

She sighed in annoyance, and Carlos kissed her temple.

Steve leaned in at this point, “Hey Janice, how about you go pick some apples for us?”

That perked her right back up, and with a cheerful wave, she rolled on down to the fruit aisle, maybe going a notch faster than necessary.

“They grow up so fast,” Steve sighed, watching her go, “Are you and Cecil planning on having any kids just yet?”

“We’re talking about getting married first,” Carlos told him, trying to grab onions once again, “But I hope so, some day.”

“We should have you two over for dinner sometime,” Steve reflected wistfully, “But I don’t know if Cecil would appreciate that.”

Carlos didn’t want to be rude, but he didn’t want to lie either. “I can pass along the message,” he promised, “But I don’t know.”

“Well, tell him me and Janice say hi,” Steve shrugged, grinning as he moved to rejoin Janice.

“I will, take care Steve.”

“You too, Carlos!”

Janice chimed in as well, “Bye, Uncle Carlos!”

 

 


End file.
